Virtual reality systems are becoming ever more popular, with consumer-level head-mounted displays and motion tracking devices leading to the creation of a large number of immersive experiences. A primary objective in many virtual reality systems is to establish a sense of presence for the user. While optics, rendering, and audio technologies have improved substantially, resulting in photorealistic renderings through which users can be convinced by the illusion of reality, a sense of touch expected when reaching out and grabbing virtual objects is still lacking.
Haptics is a term used to represent various aspects of a user's sense of touch. One method for enabling users to experience a sense of touch when interacting with virtual objects is referred to herein as passive haptics. Mapping respective physical objects to each virtual object with which a user is expected to interact can result in a compelling tactile sensation when reaching out and touching a virtual object. However, this illusion requires each virtual object to have a corresponding physical prop of the same size and shape and in the same location. This can result in a very complicated physical environment, and keeping the physical environment synchronized with the virtual environment can be difficult or even impossible.